Ram Mandir could be factor in Lok Sabha polls, but time will tell if it would be ‘decisive’: Chidambaram – India TV

Congress chief P Chidambaram on Friday (February 16) mentioned that the development of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya could be a factor in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections but solely time will tell if it will be a “decisive one”. The Congress chief additionally hit out on the BJP and mentioned that the return of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to energy would trigger an “existential disaster to state-specific regional parties”. Ram Mandir was inaugurated on January 22 in a historic occasion in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took half in the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla.

“I cannot say anything about the future of the bloc because I’m not part of the national alliance’s negotiating committee and also not part of INDIA bloc meetings. My information is only secondhand or even thirdhand. But I sincerely hope that all the remaining parties understand that the return of Mr Modi and the BJP to the Centre will cause an existential crisis to the state-specific regional parties,” Chidambaram mentioned.

The veteran Congressman was not too long ago in Kolkata for a dialogue on his new guide ‘The Watershed Year-Which Way Will India Go?’.

Chidambaram mentioned that the Congress is trying to forge an alliance with the political events that are secure and deep-rooted.

He drew parallels to the alliance of the BJP and referred to as it “a gunshot marriage”, which is shaped by splitting different events.

“BJP’s coalition is formed by splitting parties. Its main partners are one faction of the erstwhile NCP, one faction of the erstwhile Shiv Sena, and possibly a faction of the AIADMK. It hijacked the JDU, although it’s possible that some members may desert Nitish Kumar…BJP is not allying with stable political parties,” he alleged.

“Their alliance is what I would call a gunshot marriage. You hold a gun and force someone to ally whereas Congress’ effort is to forge a more substantive alliance between parties which respect each other and are willing to give and take with each other. Congress is attempting to forge the INDIA alliance with stable deep-rooted political parties like the TMC, DMK, SP, and RJD. Therefore there is a qualitative difference,” he added.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ | ‘India shifting ahead with confidence’: PM Modi at ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Rajasthan’